Obama Muslim lie persists in the US

2012-07-27 10:02

Washington - More than one in three conservative Republican voters still thinks US President Barack Obama is a Muslim, nearly four years after he won power, said a Pew Research Centre survey on Thursday.

"The number of Americans who say Obama is a Muslim is up since 2008, similar to 2010," senior Pew researcher Greg Smith said.

Although the number of conservative Republicans who believe Obama is a Muslim stagnated between 2010 and 2012, it has more than doubled since 2008 despite the Christian church-goer's repeated affirmations of his faith.

Seventeen percent of 3 000 overall voters asked by Pew in June and July thought Obama was Muslim, the poll said. That number is up 5% from 2008 and down 3% from 2010, within the survey's margin of error.

"Our polling suggests there's a real partisan component," Smith said.

Muslim American community leaders expressed concern that the lingering inability to recognise Obama's true faith showed a disturbing undercurrent in US politics, indicating a possible rise of Islamophobic discourse.

Fuelling suspicions

"For seventeen percent of people to believe Obama is a Muslim shows there's a lot of fear-mongering and politicking in America," Haris Tarin from the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

But Tarin opposes Obama's efforts to "constantly go out of his way to say he's a Christian".

Obama's Kenyan father was born a Muslim, his middle name is Hussein, and he spent years in Muslim-majority Indonesia as a child. Millions of Americans - particularly Republicans fuelled by conservative bloggers and talk radio hosts - suspect he is secretly Muslim, according to several polls.

"My Christian faith then has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years, all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time," Obama said at the 2011 National Prayer Breakfast, an annual gathering that brings together thousands of religious and community leaders.

Tarin, the director of the Washington office of the Muslim American advocacy group, however said he hoped the poll would not lead to another Obama assertion of faith.

Blow to controversy

"I hope Obama does not go out of his way to deny he's a Muslim. That reinforces the idea that Islam can be used as a slur," said Tarin.

Tarin noted that former secretary of state under the Republican George W Bush administration, Colin Powell, dealt a blow to the controversy of Obama's religion, when he asked in an interview on NBC's Meet The Press, "What if Obama is" a Muslim?

Only 49% of those polled by Pew correctly identified Obama as a Christian, while another 31% said they did not know.

Around 60% of voters correctly identified Obama's Republican opponent in the November presidential elections, Mitt Romney, as a Mormon.

Comments

lourensvb - 2012-07-27 10:19

The lie about his fraudulent birth certificate, fake Social Security Number, Sealed colege record, professional records. The lies about Guantanamo Bay. Can you blame anyone for doubting his sincerity about anything?

nicholas.b.wallace.1 - 2012-07-27 10:26

The lie about his fraudulent birth certificate, fake Social Security Number, Sealed colege record, professional records.
that was released about a week ago and i dont even see that news on NEWS24 just shows that TPTB control the media

dickie.prime - 2012-07-27 10:27

...and just who gives a rats....???????

lourensvb - 2012-07-27 10:41

I recommend to anyone who does not 'give a rats' about truth, to immigrate to North Korea. There nobody doubts what the government and media is spoon feeding them.

jack.mcgurkin - 2012-07-27 10:45

Stupid republicans

mengelbrecht1 - 2012-07-27 10:53

Sigh!! The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?????

ben.nel2 - 2012-07-27 10:59

Hillbillies.....squeel like a pig.....

jlushaba - 2012-07-27 11:30

Christian, Muslim, Jew etc r religions not political parties. . . . . So wat if Obama is a Muslim? Does it mean he cnt run d US? F¥ck it, a man must b appointed 2 office because of his competence, nt coz of colour or religion. RSA is going dwn 4 d same reason, we vote based on colour and emotions nt coz of competence. Change mind set n make a better world plz

Stirrer - 2012-07-27 12:10

RSA is going dwn cuz ppl cnt spel proply anymr.

paul.legrange.14 - 2012-07-27 16:14

I agree jlushaba. Anyone can run the country if they have the right stuff, but I have to say that part of the right stuff is the truth!!

Blame The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/opinion/12luttwak.html?_r=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

tommyunitedstates2 - 2012-07-27 12:38

In response to article Obama Muslim lie persists in the US we ought to realize that, Culture that we all share as human beings and practice in differing ways and manners from place to place, region to region is not the most important issue, and one other thing is the fact of people utilizing culture for inatigation and promotion of politised self identity and recognition are not wanted and ought to be minimized, as this has been certainly the cause of some of the world’s major problems ,wars and disturbances. In which case Obama’s culture as an individual plays no role and it’s to us one of those things that do not matter. What matters is Obama’s Character, principles, rational abilities, his foreign and domestic policies, methods, tactics and strategies of over coming his challenges with minimal violence and handling his affairs with minimal favoritism, nepotism, racism and tribalism.

dane.herbst.5 - 2012-07-27 13:05

thats because his supposed birth certificate has been proven fake again and again and AGAIN!!!! yet some people act like sheep and believe obama is actually american, look up Arpiao has proven it!!! yet it is never allowed to make headlines in the main stream media, look up the research done into it on infowars.com , news24 are a bunch of sheep, btw the supposed hospital he was born in in Hawaii have yet to confirm the fact that he was born there, no records NOTHING!!!! ppl are being lied too

dane.herbst.5 - 2012-07-27 13:09

btw i dont care what religion he is, point is he aint american

bongani.nzimande - 2012-07-27 13:43

Nd u a fake american also wit wit ur \aint\

Tony Lapson - 2012-07-27 14:48

Ppl who tlk lyk dis r realli annying.
When will you learn that you are making yourself look like an imbecile.

paul.legrange.14 - 2012-07-27 16:11

I am South African and have no idea what the facts are, but what I have heard re the closed records and fake this and that are really disturbing. Surely, the democratic leading country in the world should by its very self proclaimed nature, play open cards and tell the world the truth. About everything, not only Obama

ettore.greco2 - 2012-07-28 07:45

“About the conspiracy:
9/11 ("false flag" attack planned by Bush & co.)
7/7 "false flag" in London (Blair seals the Pact with Bush)
The War in Iraq
The next expansion of the territory of Israel.
The future World collapse of the financial system
All these are not individual events but instead part of the Zionist Plan
The interference of Crossroads GPS (the most powerful Zionist group) during the next US elections will have one sure result at the expense of Barack Obama.
The new World War of Religions is already planned behind the backs of all people which will be forced to fight for their own Countries in their obligation as citizens
First in history, this worldwide crisis was provoked through a terror event (9/11) plotted by a US president, George Bush.
This was to destabilize the equilibrium of all Countries and trigger a chain of events almost unavoidable all of them part of the same Plan.”
There is only one Solution.
www.wavevolution.org

ettore.greco2 - 2012-07-28 07:46

“About the conspiracy:
9/11 ("false flag" attack planned by Bush & co.)
7/7 "false flag" in London (Blair seals the Pact with Bush)
The War in Iraq
The next expansion of the territory of Israel.
The future World collapse of the financial system
All these are not individual events but instead part of the Zionist Plan
The interference of Crossroads GPS (the most powerful Zionist group) during the next US elections will have one sure result at the expense of Barack Obama.
The new World War of Religions is already planned behind the backs of all people which will be forced to fight for their own Countries in their obligation as citizens
First in history, this worldwide crisis was provoked through a terror event (9/11) plotted by a US president, George Bush.
This was to destabilize the equilibrium of all Countries and trigger a chain of events almost unavoidable all of them part of the same Plan.”
There is only one Solution.
www.wavevolution.org